Friday, December 23, 2011

Errors in Writing

Question: What can we do
about common errors in writing, the ones we see time and time again?

Answer: Isolate them.
If it’s a run-on sentence, isolate it and let the students play with it. If
it’s a comma splice, isolate it and let students play with it. If it’s a
sentence fragment, isolate it and let the students play with it—and learn how
to correct it in several different ways.

Comment: And if it’s a problem with parallel
structure, isolate it and let students play with it. If it’s a problem in
active/passive voice, isolate it and let students play with it. If it’s a problem
with a dangling modifier, isolate it and let the students play with it—sort of
like sentence combining. RayS.